Many Scarves
by Darling Drusilla
Summary: When the daughter of a high ranking lord is forced to run away, the best place to hide is often right out in the open. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to hide in the Imperial palace.
1. Chapter 1

The lord InuYasha sat beside his wife's deathbed, moonlit tears matching his silver hair. His golden eyes, once full of so much life and mischeif, were dimmed by sadness, pain, and true misery. His wife was dying, it seemed so surreal and unlikely. Kikyo was the only person he'd ever allowed himself to trust, she was his equal and in many ways, his superior. She was the only one who'd ever made an effort to understand him and soothe his demonic side.

The beauty of lady Kikyo herself was known far and wide throughout InuYasha's territory and most of the lands. But the illness which had taken over, had eclipsed her sunshine. Her purity was dying away and dimming out, her kindness and smiles, strained her body. InuYasha cursed the heavens for taking his wife away. A fit of coughs over took the Miko's fragile body and InuYasha held her close, hoping he could stop them.

"My love," She whispered, clenching his robes in a surprisingly strong grip for a dying woman. "My love, please, promise me that you will marry again. Marry again when I am gone."

InuYasha was shocked. "No, I can't do that Kikyo. No woman could ever take your place in my heart. I won't do it!"

Kikyo smiled, her InuYasha always did pout like a child. She let out a small smile before correcting him. "Not for yourself my dearest. Marry for your son so that he may know how a mother should act. Marry for your young daughter, so that she may know how to become a lady. If you can find a new love, take it into your arms and never let it go. Promise me."

InuYasha had all but forgotten his two children. His son, Naraku was his pride and joy. constantly by his fathers side on hunts and peace negotiations. The young teen even looked like InuYasha on his human nights. His eyes were a bit more red-violet than violet, but it was to be expected. His hair was dark, thick and long for a boy his age, it was a mass of large curls. His eyes were sharp, his mind quick and he was a natural at swordsmanship.

His daughter on the other hand, she spent so much time training with Kikyo's sister and the other preists and miko, he didn't even remember her name. From all accounts, she looked like her mother, but was usually dirty, rambunctous, and misbehaived. He strained to remember her name...crane? sparrow? peace? It didn't matter, he was sending his daughter off with his brother to become a better miko. There she would actually become a proper lady as well as be better trained than if she stayed here. His brother was strict and often known to be cruel, so his daughter would surely shape up.

Never the less, InuYasha promised his wife. "Kikyo, I promise I'll remarry, but only if there's someone more beautiful than you."

kikyo smiled at her husbands foolish promise, she knew there would be someone more beautiful than herself. But the stubborn man had gotton his way for now. Slowly, her breathing even out and she closed her eyes. The Lady Miko was gone, leaving behind a heartbroken family. On her funeral it rained and InuYasha had to be held back to keep from being buried alive with her. He never noticed his brother leave with his daughter, nor did he notice his son taken in by his advisors.


	2. Chapter 2

One of Kagome's earliest memories was of leaving her home to go live with her uncle. She could remember the way his hair shone in the sunlight and how he was always so cold to his retainers. But he was more than kind to her. She could also remember how he comforted her during her nightmares. She remembered riding in front of him on the way to his fortress. She remembers the fortress being huge and imposing, with hundreds of silk banner, white with red symbols of her clan. The Taisho clan; one of the strongest clans in the entire country. More than that, she remembers the conversations she had with her uncle on the way there.

The first time she met her uncle, he was so frightening, she thought he was a ghost. She knew he was a demon, but after everything her mother and father had said Kagome honestly thought her demonic uncle might eat her. It was very strange that she took anything her mother and father said as truth. She never spent a great deal of time with her mother, and her father liked her brother much more than Kagome herself. As for her brother, Kagome never really liked him, he always picked on her and threw snakes and mud and other disgusting things into her bedding and wardrobe.

She frowned, remembering how she had gotten in trouble for making her brother act out. She hadn't done anything except ask if she could borrow some ink during their lessons.

"You are troubled," Sesshomaru broke into her thoughts. The young girl had been riding in silence since they left the castle. He knew she wasn't sad, in fact she seemed to be much more relaxed the further they got away from the castle.

"Father always said you hated humans and you'd gobble me up if you ever met me." She saw her uncle raise a brow before scoffing.

"I would never harm a pup if they were part of my pack, even if they were a young human miko. You are my family, soon to be my second daughter." He seemed to be finished, but behind his eyes, Kagome could see wheels turning. "I do not particularly like humans, most fail to bathe on a regular basis. It makes them taste horrible." He gave her a little smile to show he was joking, and Kagome couldn't help but smile back.

Kagome felt a bit better after that, and soon the ride to the fortress was filled with the innocent chatter of a child. They traveled until nightfall, at which point camp was set up for Kagome and the rest of the demons traveling with Sesshomaru. The two Taisho kin shared a large tent while the others were relegated to much smaller two man tents.

_Kagome knew she was asleep, because she was in the magical garden. The garden was a place where she and her friend could come and play together. She didn't know much about her friend, only that he was a boy and his family was driving him insane. Whenever saw his face, all she saw was a bur of color in th shape of a boy. From what he told her, she was nothing more than a blur of color herself. But together, the two of them were the best of friends. _

"_So how was the funeral?" her friend asked her. Every time she asked his name, a soft rustling noise emerged from his mouth. _

"_Boring, my dad didn't even notice I left."_

"_I'm sorry. My dad, he barely lets us leave his sight."_

_Kagome smiled sadly at her friend, sad that they couldn't actually meet each other in person. The first time they met had been right after his on mother died, and she was sorry that his mother died, she sounded like a wonderful woman. She sounded much nicer than Kagome's own mother._

"_You're all silvery blue, what's wrong?"_

_Kagome shook her head, "nothing. Come on, lets play tag!" But their game never began, because soon a large dark cloud obscured the sunlight and a menacing laughter came from no where. _

Kagome's eye opened to see her uncle staring down at her worriedly, and before she could think on it, and because she was only six, she threw herself into he taiyoukai's arms. She was faintly aware of shouted orders and the flurry of activity around her, tears having taken nearly all of her energy until she fell into a much deeper sleep, without a single dream or visit from her faraway friend.

It took three days for the party to return to the Western Citadel, her uncle Sesshomaru's impenetrable fortress. During that time she met many generals and elite soldiers of the western army. Ryura the dragon, Jura the tiger, Gora the tortoise, and Kyura the phoenix were among her uncles more trusted generals and advisers. Each of the fearsome demons made Kagome giggle with their antics. However, Kagome was separated from her traveling companions once they reached the citadel.

There was little ceremony upon her uncles arrival, and within seconds she was being whisked inside by a set of nannies. They were twins you see, named Li and Lo, very old, slightly withered, and eager to correct any mistakes. Li finished everything with 'or so they say' while Lo began her sentences with 'according to the rumors'. Once Kagome figured that out, she felt very comfortable with her new circumstances. Despite being old, and a bit scary looking, they were very gossipy and doted on Kagome.

"I remember when we used to care for your father young Kagome-hime," Li began. "Though I couldn't imagine what your mother's death is going to do to him. He'll probably end up like old Akito-taisho, or so they say."

"Oh, according to the rumors he's started getting rd of all his female servants," Lo gossiped as she picked Kagome up nd put her on a stool. "Apparently he's taken a slight liking to male flesh."

Kagome wasn't sure what to think when they started to redress her. Apparently her travel clothes weren't fit to meet the rest of the household in, especially when she'd be meeting the rest of her foster family for the first time. They did assure her however that she'd be more than welcome to traipse about the stronghold in whatever she liked when she was older and the family was more accustomed to her.

"And even if they don't like you at all, Don't you worry about a thing, Aunty Li and Lo will stay right here by your side. And that's no rumor."

Kagome soon found herself in a formal kimono, five layers of silk in various shades of light spring green and sky blue. Every layer depicted something to remind you of spring, especially the top most layer, bleeding from sky to land, blades of grass delicately shooting up from the bottom, a cloud painted obi in soft white held the ensemble on while the emblem of her uncle's house, her house , was painted onto her left cuff. Li and Lo, funny little crow demons they were, did nothing but compliment how beautiful she was, how adorable she was, and how her new family would absolutely adore her.

"I think it would be hard to have a new family, when I didn't really have an old one," Kagome said as they walked to the main hall.

"Oh! You poor thing!"

"Kaguya won't let you feel that way for long!"

The five year old miko was soon standing n front of her new family and the entirety of her uncle's court. Beside him was the most beautiful woman Kagome had ever seen, she must be Kaguya, the celestial princess her uncle had fought the gods for. At the woman's right was a small girl about Kagome's age, with her hair hanging loose about her shoulders. Where Kagome wore blue and green, the little girl wore oranges and yellows and pink. She looked very much like Kagome herself, though her hair was more brown, and she had gray eyes instead of blue. At Sesshomaru's left, was a dark eyed man who looked a bit similar to her uncle. He had a large smile and his aura was very calm and happy.

"Come Kagome, sit beside your sister Kirin," Sesshomaru motioned for her to sit beside the little girl from earlier. Her sister Kirin. As Kagome shuffled over to her new sister, she could hear the members of the court whispering about the kindness of her uncle and his family, taking in a miko and saving her from a mad hanyou.

As Kagome seated herself, she felt Kirin pull her over to whispering level.

"Please, call me Rin, and welcome home."

"You should allow your father to conduct his business," came a melodious voice from above them.

"Of course mother," Rin nodded at the tennyo before a tendril of pink hagoromo began to caresses both Rin and Kagome's heads. It was comforting Kagome decided finally.

Children are incredibly adaptive.

It took less than a week for Kagome to really get into the swing of everything. Her mornings were hers to concentrate on prayer and training, breakfast was a family exclusive affair, and no one was excused from attendance unless they were dying. Well, if they were simply late or a little sick that was fine too, but no one was really excused from missing a meal with the family.

After breakfast were lessons with Rin, flower arrangement and calligraphy and math, she was actually learning more in a classroom than she had back in the temple. Then again, there was only so much to learn at a temple. Lunch followed lessons, and usually it was just the girls and Kaguya, with the boys out hunting or sparring in the dojo. The after noons were free time for Rin and Kagome, and the girls usually played in the gardens with their dolls or took a nap underneath the almond tree. Every so often they might be visited by Sesshomaru, but usually it was just the girls and their retainers. Dinner would come, and again the entire family would gather, this time eating in the main garden for their evening meal. This would happen everyday, for most of Kagome's young life.

One night, as Lo brushed Kagome's hair and Li massaged her feet, Kagome zoned off to the garden she'd always shared with her unknown friend.

"_He's not here tonight," Kagome sighed, she really needed someone familiar, because even though she was with her family, she wasn't with a friend. _

"_Who's not here?" Kagome turned to see her friend standing there. "Do you know how long it's been since we could talk? I'm going batty back home."_

_Kagome giggled, he was always so dramatic. "Can we just sit next to each other today? I don't really feel like doing anything."_

_Her friend nodded before coming to sit beside her, he didn't feel like doing anything either. He was struck by an idea then, maybe he could say his name now, or at least help her figure his name out. He turned to look at her, but couldn't ay thing, because the being of energy was leaning against him, at peace and sleeping soundly. _

~!~

Until she went to the market on her fifteenth birthday, everything had a safe reliable pattern. She was granted permission to pick out her very own gift this year and Kagome was beyond excited. Usually she was gifted with a kimono from Kaguya and a pretty hair pin from her sister. Sesshomaru gave her a bow last year, much to her foster mothers horror, and Joushiro had given her a saddle. Both made Rin a bit jealous, until she actually tried shooting herself, then she quickly changed her tune, saying it just wasn't ladylike. Rin did like riding however, and now the girls had riding every fifth day.

But as they rode to the marketplace, Kagome and her entourage of Li, Lo, three handmaids, and General Kyura, came across a young woman beaten half to death as an oni prepared to do something far worse and vulgar. Her bow was in her hands before she knew it, her purifying arrow already loosed and buried deep within the heart of the foul orange beast. Soon enough she'd ordered her guard to get the girl, they were going to the local doctor. That was how Kagome met Sango, her soon to be personal guard and best friend.


End file.
